Optical livestock counting system and method

Abstract

An optical livestock counting system includes a sensor mounted to establish a light curtain through an area where livestock are to at least one of pass and be contained, and a control unit operatively coupled with the sensor to detect the livestock within the light curtain and, when the livestock meet a predefined criteria, increment a count of the livestock.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical livestock counting system, comprising:
 a sensor mounted to establish a light curtain through an area where livestock are to at least one of pass and be contained; and   a control unit operatively coupled with the sensor to detect the livestock within the light curtain and, when the livestock meet a predefined criteria, increment a count of the livestock.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a laser scanner. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted above where the livestock are to at least one of pass and be contained. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light curtain comprises an invisible light curtain. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light curtain comprises a vertical light curtain. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined criteria comprises at least one of size and time. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , the sensor to determine a size of the livestock within a zone of the light curtain. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , the sensor to determine a time of the livestock within a zone of the light curtain. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , the control unit to measure a size of an object with the light curtain, and filter out the object within or passing through the light curtain when the object does not meet the predefined criteria. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the object comprises a human. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interface including at least one of display of a field of view of the sensor, display of count information of the livestock, and display of an image of the livestock within the field of view.   
     
     
         12 . An optical livestock counting method, comprising:
 establishing a light curtain with a sensor through an area where livestock are to at least one of pass and be contained;   detecting the livestock within the light curtain;   determining whether the livestock meet a predefined criteria; and   in response to the detecting the livestock and the livestock meeting the predefined criteria, incrementing a count of the livestock.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a laser scanner. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the light curtain comprises a vertical light curtain. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predefined criteria comprises at least one of size and time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining whether the livestock meet the predefined criteria comprises measuring a size of the livestock with the sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining whether the livestock meet the predefined criteria comprises measuring, with the sensor, a time of the livestock within the light curtain. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 measuring, with the light curtain, a size of an object within or passing through the light curtain;   determining that the object does not meet the predefined criteria; and   excluding the object from the count of the livestock.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the object comprises a human. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 displaying, with an interface, at least one of a field of view of the sensor, count information of the livestock, and an image of the livestock within the field of view.